


Five Years Old

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Agender Hunk (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Multi, Other, POV Second Person, Trans Keith (Voltron), Trans Lance (Voltron), im going to stop insulting my own story, the writing style is so inconsistent, this is pretty scrappy and its mostly just a draft of a oneshot so ehhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 13:17:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8534659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A five year old can believe in anything, and crayon scribbles, tulips, and island caves can lead to the anything they believe in.
A drabble about childish curiosity, the likelihood of a mer like Keith to save a child like Lance with a best friend like Hunk, and the over-advertised development of themselves and how they view themselves and each other.





	

Your name is Edelira, and you are five years old when you first meet Cerise.

The ocean glides out in front of you, its colour thick and constant, a vibrant, glittering turquoise. Anton is supposed to be watching you, but you can tell he’s more interested in his friends.

You wade further into the water, a collection of pretty shells in your hands, brushing back seaweed and kicking up sand. The ocean is reaching your shoulders, and suddenly momentum catches you forward, rocking you off your feet. It’s all one moment, where the ocean is a monster, roaring and spitting and you’re in over your head, spluttering. Your scream fizzles into bubbles, and warm hands touch your back and your head breaks the surface. Anton hovers over you, worried, and lifts you out of the water. He hurries you back into the house, and your father fusses over whether you’re okay, or frightened.

But mostly, your thoughts wander back to whoever lifted you from the ocean.

 

Your mama insists you can’t go to the ocean, and you look to mom, who raises an eyebrow at you and agrees.   
“No deal, Lira,” your dad says, and you burn like a fuse.

 

Mama kisses your forehead when she tucks you into bed, and you stare at the glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling, before making up your mind.

A determined five-year-old to your core, you move your bedside table to the open window and crawl out the window, sitting on the sill, a torch in your hand, mind still a turbulent mess about disobeying your parents. It takes a split second, and you drop down onto the sand.

It’s cool against your bare feet, and you run down to the waves.

“Hello!” You yell. “Is anyone here?”

Light catches your eyes, and you spin on your feet, staring, mouth-dropping open at the bright yellow eyes in the ocean. You turn on your torch, and a girl, around your age, is holding out your shells.

You pause, and walk closer.

_Not a girl_ , is your first thought.

_A mermaid._

She smiles at you, and you shuffle until your feet are lapped by shallow water.

“These are your shells, right?” she says quietly, tucking a hand behind her neck and through her fluffy black hair.

“Yes,” you say brightly. “And you’re a _mermaid_! Who saved my _life_!”

“You’re a human,” she responds shyly. “Whose life I saved.”

In awe, you kneel so you’re at her level.

She drops the shells into your hands. “Thank you,” you say politely. “My name is Edelira.”

“Cerise,” she says with a little smile. Her tail is a dark shimmery red, and you stare at it for a long moment.

“Woah,” you say softly.

Cerise giggles. “Humans are pretty cool too.”

“You’re a _mermaid_!” you protest, lying down on your belly like she is.

She laughs at you, a coil of warmth furls in your chest, and you talk for a long time, until you’re blinking away sleep.

“I’ll see you tomorrow!” she says hopefully.

“Yeah,” you say lightly, yawning, walking back to your home and being eternally grateful for the hill your house sinks into so that your window very nearly reaches the ground, and collapse on your bed.

 

The next day, when school finishes, you go into your room, tell your mama that you’re still tired, crawl out the window at skip down the path to the ocean.

When Cerise sees you, she lights up.  
“Edelira, Edelira!” she calls, flicking her tail. You crash into the water and sand next to her, and she shows you her sand castle, eyes lighting up-

“Your eyes are different,” you note.

“Yeah,” Cerise says. “At night, I have yellow eyes and at day I have eyes like this!”

“Human eyes,” you assess reasonably.

Cerise nods. “Yeah.”

“Both your yellow and human eyes are pretty,” you say, and Cerise beams, cheeks dimpling. It’s true, you think, looking at her eyes. They’re a purple-grey colour, and you’ve never seen a human with purple eyes.

“Your eyes are pretty too,” Cerise says shyly.

You grin toothily at her, and then her eyes go wide, and she hides herself in the water.

“What?” you say.

“ _Edelira Novia!_ ” Your mama yells at you, and you flinch.

“Great,” you say quietly, and, while clearly terrified, Cerise giggles.

“You are not allowed in the water, you know that, get _back_ here! Do not lie to me!”  
You stand up and hurry over to her.

“I’m sorry, mama,” you mumble.

“Not good enough!” she says sharply. “I do not want you anywhere _near_ the beach by yourself! You nearly _drowned_ last time!”

“But I didn’t,” you say meekly. Your mama scowls, opens the door, and points to your room.

“I do not want to hear it,” she says primly.

 

You ask Aleja if she’ll come with you to the beach, and she shrugs.

“Do I need ask mama?” she says.

“Maybe,” you mumble.

Aleja rolls her eyes fondly at you, and talks to mama. Mama concedes, and waves you off.

“We can as long as you don’t go into the water,” Aleja tells you, and you nod rapidly.

“I can do that!” you say brightly.

She smiles at you and ruffles your hair, guiding you to the beach.

Delighted, you notice Cerise and skid towards her.

“Did I get you in trouble?” she whispers, pouting.

“No, I did,” you say. “But yeah, I can’t go to beach all the time, but when I can, I’ll find you!”

She smiles at you, and you smile back.

 

When you’re six, you draw pictures of Cerise and show them to her.

She lights up like this is the kindest thing anyone’s every done for her.

You pin them on your walls and Anton asks about her.

“Her name is Cerise,” you say. “She’s a mermaid and at night her eyes glow and apart from Hunk, she’s my best friend.”

He smiles at you.

 

When you’re seven, you begin to sing together, and you wonder why you want to sing the male parts of the duet, and why she does too.

 

When you’re eight, Hunk asks why you’re still drawing the same mermaid.

“Her name’s Cerise,” you say. “She’s a mermaid, and along with you, she’s my best friend.”

 

When you’re nine, Cerise cradles you in her arms across the beach to a tiny cave that she found, and you make a fortress and find crabs. She helps you make a boat, and you laze in the sun. Once, looking at her, peaceful and lit in gold, you think about kissing her.

 

When you’re ten, Cerise is quiet and forlorn.

You ask her what’s wrong, and she doesn’t answer.

She curls against your chest and sobs, and you let her.

You learn that she’s alone again, that everyone else has abandoned her.

 

When you’re eleven, you think you might not be a girl.

You don’t tell anyone.

 

When you’re twelve, Hunk tells you that they aren’t a boy or a girl.

You wait a long time, and admit that you aren’t a girl, and that you’re pretty sure you’re a boy.

They smile at you, and the nervousness in your chest uncurls.

 

You run to tell Cerise, and he tells you that he’s a boy too.

 

When you’re thirteen, you try out the name Edward, and Cerise sleeps on your shoulder.

The name Edward doesn’t fit, and Cerise calls himself ‘Keith’, which you find surprisingly adorable. You don’t _want_ to find it adorable.

 

When you’re fourteen, you call yourself Lance, and tell your parents. The three of them are supportive, and take it in stride with kind smiles.

You get a haircut and a binder, and offer them to Keith.

He smiles at you.

 

When you’re fifteen, Anton asks you why you’re still drawing Cerise.

“His name’s Keith now,” you correct. “He’s a merman.”

You want to call him your best friend.

 

When you’re sixteen, Hunk asks about Keith.

You shrug. “He’s my favourite character to draw.”

And the lie burns in your chest.

 

You tell Keith about a date you got, and he frowns, bites his lip and forces a smile at you.

You wonder if something happened.

 

When you’re seventeen, you know you’re in love with Keith.

Hunk asks why you’ve stopped flirting, and you flash him a smile but don’t say anything.

 

Keith asks how you’re supposed to stay friends, and, fear snapping sharp through your lungs, your mind begins to work on its own.  
“Lance, I’m serious,” he growls.

“Can I kiss you?” you didn’t mean to say it, you didn’t mean to-

Keith stammers, silvery skin going red, and nods.

You kiss him, and go to sleep with the taste of saltwater on your lips.

 

When you’re eighteen, Hunk meets Keith.

Keith goes pale, Hunk’s mouth opens, and you stammer.

 

You realise, just as much as you’ve fallen in love with Keith, you’ve fallen in love with Hunk.

 

You ask Keith how’d he feel about a polyamorous relationship, and he tells you that he likes Hunk as well.

 

Together you present them a bouquet of tulips, and they laugh brightly, kissing you both on the cheek.

 

When you’re nineteen, you tell your family that you and Hunk are dating, and your mama hands dad five dollars.

 

You and Hunk talk about Keith, and your future.

 

When you’re twenty, Keith tells you both that he’s figured out how to become human, if only sometimes.

 

 You quickly discover teaching Keith to walk is too difficult, and so you buy him a wheelchair.

Overdramatically and enthusiastically, you tell Pidge, your family, and later, Hunk’s, that this is yours and Hunk’s second boyfriend, Keith, and Anton’s eyes go wide.

 

You don’t explain, and simply grin at him.

 

When you’re twenty-one, Keith tells you he’s discovered a way for you and Hunk to become merpeople, and the water is all that you’ve ever loved.

 

You meet Shiro and Allura and Coran and Shay, and the three of you are married, with interlocking pearl crowns.

 

When you’re twenty-two, the three of you build a house over and in and around the cave, and you are integrated enough with the magic that you can switch from merman to human with ease.

 

The three of you are in love and, in a bizarre confession, you tell Keith that you are _so glad_ you nearly drowned.

Hunk bursts into laughter. “What a Lance way of loving someone.”

Keith is slightly pink, and shoots you a shy smile. “I think we would’ve met anyway, fate in its funny ways,” he says softly, and it takes you a moment.

“You believe in destiny?” you say, trying to contain your grin.

“Not usually,” Keith said quietly. “But I think, us? I think the three of us were meant to happen.”

Hunk beams, and you hide your face.

 

And you think you were.


End file.
